Improvement in knitting-machines



r 5 Sheets-Sheet 1, J. & M. LEE & W. CARTER. KNITTING MACHINE.

No. 110,479 Patented Dec. 27, 1870.

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J. &'M. LEE & W. CARTER.

KNITTING MAGHINE.

Patented Dec. 2'7, 1870.

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5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J. & M. LEE & W. CARTER.

KNITTING MACHINE.

No. 110,479 Patented Dec. 27, 1870 admins 5 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. & M. LEE 8v W. CARTER. KNITTING MACHINE Patented Dec 27, 1870.

inventors Maw.

5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

J. & M. LEE &: W. CARTER KNITTING MACHINE;

No. 110,479 Patented Dec. 27, 1870; v

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MASSACHUSETTS.

Letters Patent No. 110,479, dated December 27, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN KNITTING-MACHINES.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, J OHN LEE, MARK LEE, and WILLIAM CARTER, of Needham, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Knitting-lllachines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in knittingmachines, and consists ina combination, with a knitting-machine, of a shifting receivei:and holder and automatic operating dealers therefor for carrying yarns of different colors, and changing them to be woven into the fabric, according to any required order or pattern.

The invention also consists in certain improvements in the arrangements of the operating and adjusting devices of the knitting'apparatus, all as hereinafter described.

Figure 1 is a plan View of our improvedmachine.

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation 'of the same taken on the line at x of fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the same.

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectiourshowing the apparatus for shifting the yarn guide receiver or holder.

Figureo is a detail, in perspective, showing improved latch-openers, which we haveapplied to the vertical needles.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a part of the yarncarrier.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of one of the shifting yarn-guides.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a key used for releasing the horizontal needles for removal.

Figure 9 is a detail section on the line a: a; of fig. 1, showing the arrangement of means for adjustingthe vertical needles relatively to the others; and

Figure 10-is a perspective view of some of the said parts.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A represents one set of latch-needles, and

13, the other set of a common frame for knitting ribbed goods for stockings and other articles.

The one set, A, is arranged vertically, and the other horizontally. Their operations are mainly the same as in other machines.

The ones, B, are worked by the reciprocating camplate'O, which is worked by the crank D and rod E.

The said crank is attached to the vertical shaft F,

' which is worked by the wheels G H, the latter being on the driving-shaft I and the rod E, which is slotted to allow the plate 0 the requisite periods of rest at the end of each movement, engages the stud-Kin its slot, as clearly shown in fig. 1. a

The needles A are supported bythe bar L, which is supported by the bars L on the free slotted ends of the oscillating bars M, pivoted on a shaft, N, and

forced down by the cam O on the driving-shaft I, and up by the spring P, the said cam working on a frietion-roller, Q, mounted on the end of an arm, 1t.

- The slotted bars M hold the pivot-pins M, so that the lower ends of bars L may be adjusted to or from the frame.

- S is the yarn-guide carrier. It is attached to the barO, and moves with it.

It has a longitudinal vertical slot, T, in the front end; also the groove U, and has the block V project ing downwardfrom the front end, said block having a vertical groove, W, for the thread-guides.

X representspring-catches attached to the carrier for receiving and holding the yarn-guides, which wiH presently be described.

Y represents a disk of metal or other substance, having a series of radial' slots, Z, in one side, and a series of fluted grooves or notches, Z, in the other side.

It is mounted-on a vertical shaft, Y, arranged in front of the position, where the yarn-guide carrier S stops at the end of the movement to the left, the said disk being about as high as, or a little higher than,

the top of the carrier, and the shaft extending below nearly to the bottom of the frame... 7 X represents a spring-guard attached to the supportW, and extending around the disk each way a suitable distance from the edge thereof nearly to the opposite side, terminating a little short of the point where they should meet, if continued, so as to allow a space thereat, but bending up at each e d against the disk previous to the termination, as sh we at V, to make room for the yarn-guide carrier. These springs are for the purpose of detaining the yarn-guidesin the receiver.

The shifting arn uides are com rosed of the hori s l a l zont-al cylindrical or otherwise-formed blocks a, vertlcal guide-tubes b, and the vertical studs (Z, the latter attached at one end, and rising above the blocks a, and the tubes attached to the other end, and projecting downward from the lower side. These tubes are secured in holes extending through the blocks a, and through them the yarn passes, as shown in fig. 7.

These yarn-guides are fitted into the disk Y, which,

in additionto the radial slots Z, above referred to, has radial holes in connection with them, so arranged that thc blocks a will slide into them with the ends carrying the tubes 1) innermost, and the ends carrying the studs (Z outermost, the tubes projecting below the plate, and the studs abo e, as clcarl y shown in figs. 1 and 2 As many of these guides are to be used as there are to be differently-colored yarns, the said yarns e be-- ing strung through them, first passing through the guide-bars f and g, above and at the opposite side of the machine, or in any other suitable-location.

These yarn-guides are to be shifted into the carrier and back again, according to the order of the colors required for the pattern to be knit, and for this urpose we have employed, in this instance, first, a shifting apparatus for effecting the necessary changes of the receiver, and next, a transferring bar or shifter, for shifting the guides to the carrier, and 'vice versa.

For shifting the receiver, a toothed pinion, h,is provided at the bottom of the shaft Y, gearing with the sliding racks '2'. j, one on each side, to be moved simultaneousl'y in opposite directions.

These racks are moved by the disks 1 m, having the radial pins 11. projecting from their peripheries, and being swung forward after being turned on their axes,

so that the pins strike the racks, the pin of one disk to cause the movement and the other to act as a stop.

These disks are mounted on the shaft p,suspended by the bars (1 from the oscillating shaft mounted on journals at the top of the frame.

These bars and the disks are moved forward by the cam s on the main shaft I, and shown dotted in fig. 2, acting on the friction-roller t attached to the side bars or to arms attached thereto. They are moved back by the spring a.

The disks are provided ejtheg one or both, with a ratchet-disk, w, to be turned a notch at a time by the long pawl x, suspended by the lever x, mounted at the top of the machine, as shown, to be thrown up to force the pawl down by the cam-plate 1 on the cam-plate c, and be forced back by the spring 2, which is attached to the pawl, and raises it when the cam-slide 0 goes back.

41 is a sliding stop-plate arranged in the top of the shaft 1', to be thrust under the lever 11:, to prevent the action of the pawl and the turning of the disks m I, when only one yarn is used and it is not required to make any changes of yarn-guides.

The ratchet-disks \V are also used for arresting and holding the Y llgsks l min the right position for the pins to act proper on the rack-bars by a sliding l'ioldingpawl, 3, or one to'each disk, so arranged that they will be pressed back by the inclined walls of the ratchetteeth of the wheels w when they move, and be forced into the notches again by springs 4.

The pins a of the disks 1 m are arranged in different lengths and in any required order, for changing the yarn-guides to produce the pattern required, and they are attached to the disks by screwing into them, or it may be by any other way, so that they may be changed to produce different patterns, the pins of each disk acting together on the bars i j are always so adjusted as tq length, that when the disks are brought forward to actuate the said bars, each pin will bear against its respective bar at the end of the movements of the lat ter, so that one pin (the short one) acts as a stop for the movement imparted by the other, thereby making the operation positive and reliable.

\Ve may, however, operate these bars by means of one disk with pins, a spring, and a lmhling-pawhthc disk operating the same as in this case, upon one rackbar, throwing it forward, the spring drawing it back and the holding-pawl'holding the rackbar against the action of the spring until tripped by the disk or some other device,just about the. time the disk ceases its forward motion to bring a new pin into action with the rack-bur. I

The turning of the disk by the pawl'a: is effhctedfliust movement to the left, and then, while the bar 0 stands, and the carrier is at rest in front of the receiver-Y, the disks are moved forward to shift the receiver; but previous to this movement of the disks the guideshifter 5 is moved forward to receive in its notch (i the stud-pin (Z of the guide to be shifted by the 'actionof the cam 7 on the shaft I, acting on the friction-roller S- in the end of the lever 9, which is pivoted at 10 and jointed at the upper end to the rod 11, on theend 'of which the shifter 5 is, and which slides back an forth in a bearing, 12. d

' This lever S), rod 11, and shifter5are moved in the other direction by the spring 13.

This movement takes place as soon as thecam 7 back draws the yarn-guide, which happens to stand opposite the carrier, from the receiver into the said carrier, forcing the tube 1) between the springs x, which are for holding the guide in the said carrier.

"The carrier, like thedisk Y, has a hole, in con-' guide.

When the shift-er has thus drawn the guide into the carrier it stops and rests in that position during the time the guide is carried forward and back again to deliver the yarn to the needles, and until the carrier again stops in front of the receiver, at which time the stnd'd of the guide will again stand in the notch 6 of the shifter. 7

Then the shifter moves forward again and returns the guide to the receiver, which is either "turned to carry away the guide last out and bring another, with another color or not, according to the pattern and the arrangement of the pins in the disks lm.

If not turned the sane guide goes out again, and so on as long asthesame color is to be used; but, if the disk is turned, then the guide, brought thereby to the front of the carrier, goes out, and the one just returned remains until its turn comes again.

The receiver Y is held where it stops by the spring-holder 14, which engages in the notches Z.

has a spring, 15, connected. to it, and arranged 'to press" the arms L against the vertical plates 16, against which they, or the set-screws 17 therein,bcar at the top in working up and down.

These set or gauge-screws are employed for adj usting the needles A to or from the slide-bars 18.

The bars L are connected to the arms M by joints, which admit of this oscillation on them.

The plates 16, against which the said arms L bear, are mounted on the ends of bars 19,.capable of sliding forward and back slightly in the frame extend) to the rear of the machine, attached to them.

These rods hear at the rear ends against the bar 21, which is set forward to force the bars 19 toward t-he'front by the gauge-screws 22.

The plates 16 support the bar 23, which supports the horizontal needles at the front and causes the loops to be cast ofi' fron'i the-1n. 7

They also support the'bar 24, carrying the latchopeners 25 and the slotted bars 26, in which the ends of the slide-bar 18 are confined.

All these parts, together. with the bars L and L, may, therefore, be adjusted forward and back relatively to the needles B by the screws 22 and the spring 15, for varying the texture of the goods. i I

previous to the arrival of the eani'bar c at the end ofits passes beyond the roller 8, and the shifter going nection with the slot T, for the block a of the The supporting-bar L for thevertical needles A.

of the machine, and having the rods 20, which The bar 21, which is introduced between-the ends of the rods 20 and the gauge-screws 22, is arranged to slide lengthwise, and has thickened parts 42, which, being shoved in front of the screws 22, will force the needles A and the bar 18 forward so' that the stitches then made will be very slack, which it is desirable they should be, for at least one course at the end of a stocking, to facilitate running it onto the needles of the frame for making the heel or foot.

The said bar is drawn back again after the slack course is made to the position represented in fig. 1, to allow the needles A to assume theirnormal position.

V It will be observed that the bar 23 is separate from the bar 23? behind it, which supports the needle s B, and that itmay be adjusted relatively to the needles independently of the said bar 23, thereby greatly simplifying the-arrangement of it with the needles for casting oh the stitches.

ports 27, which have push-pins 28connected to them,

so that, being pushed back, they will let the bar 18 drop'away from the tops of the needles, to facilitate running on the work, which may becolne detached by the yarn breaking or from other causes:

The sliding supports27 have springs 29 for forcing them'back under'the' ends of the bar 18 when it is raised again.- v The lateral 'adjustmeut'of the bars L and I is effected by the screws L The loops are formed. onthe needles and cast off much in the same way as in other machines, except that we have provided for throwing the. loops on the vertical needlesbelow the latches before the new loops are taken on,and for this purpose we have provided the depression 30 inthe face. of the camwhcel O, for allowing thQ-J18Bdl6SI A to rise, after the'old loops arecast oil, higher than'the position for receiving. the yarn for the new loops, so as'to raise the latches high enough to insure the escape of the loops, after which theyare moved back again I to the position for receiving the new loops; "and we have provided the latch-openers 25 to actat this time to open or throw down any latches which may not have been thrown down by the loops; for instance, in case a needle may-not have had a loop formed on it by the breaking of the yarn or from any cause.

They also serve, by bearing'on the latches below" their pivots, to prevent the needles B from pushing the latchesof needles A out or raising them 'upwhen the said needles B move forwagd.

The latch-openers 25 consist'of a series of teeth gorn ed on or attached to a plate, 24, as shown in g. o. I

The needles B are so arranged that, when moved forward, their points, after passing "over theplate 18', enter the spaces between the teeth" 35'; whereas, if the'latch-opener's formed a continuous edge, the latches of the needles-would, in being-opened and closed to form the stitch, usually or frequently come in contactwith it, and the loops, being thereby preventedfrorn rendering over the latches, would be broken, resulting in holes-and bad places in the work; and also, in the backward movement of these needles, the latches themselves would be bentor broken, since as they, iu-that case, incline backward, their raised ends would strike the continuous -'edge of the latch-openers These latch-openers are so arranged abpve the needles that, when the 'latter rise up to them, the edgesaie' received between thehooks and the ends of the latches, as represented in fig. 5, so that the latter are thrown down. v

To preventthe latches getting behind thi latchopencrsin this operation, the said latches are made longer than they commonly are, and projectslightly above the hooks, as shown-at 31. 1 A bent-wire yarn-guide, 32, is attached to the support of the shaft Y, and arranged as shown in 'iigs; 2 and '3, for preventing the several yarns, ,which extend from the guides held in the receiver to the edge of the fabricover the top of bar 18 and at the leftof the needles, as shown at 33, from being brought into contact with the needles in any way, especially by the turning of the receiver; and

34 is a spring-guard arranged above these yarns, so that, when the carrier S moves back to. that end, it will be forced down by the said carrier on the said yarns andprevent them from being caught by the latch-opening points 35 of the carrier.

- SVe have arranged the fi'iction roller Q, against which the cam-wheel 0 works, for forcing the needles A down, so that it will, slide on its spindle, and have provided a shifting-bar, 36, therefor, which works in The bar. 18 rest-sat the ends on' the sliding sup-'- the groove-37- so that we can slide the said roller along itsspindle out of the position to be acted on by the cam, so that the needles will not be forced down,

-This is done whenever it is desired to accumulate two or more rows of loops on the needles A, as in making the welts at the topof a stocking.

40 represents a key arranged in the plate c so that it may be readily taken out to release the shanks of the needles B, to admit of drawing them out when required, and for putting in others.

This is efi'ected by arranging the wall 44 of the rebate at the lower end of the key to form a part. of the wall of thecam-groove, which, being removed, lets the needles, opposite the place where the key is contained,-free. a

Any of the needles B may be thus'released by moving the plate, so thatsthmplace made vacant by the .withdrawalFof the key is brought to the needle it is desired to remove. I

Having thus described our invention,

.We claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- 1. The yarn-guide carrier S, constructed and arranged substantially as specific 2. The shifting rotary yarn gnide receiver Y, constructed, arranged, and operating-substantially as specified. i 3. "The combination, with the receiver, of the springs X and the spring-stop'lat, substantially as specified.

4. The yarn guides ml b, constructed and arranged substantially-as specified. a g 5..The combination, with the rotary yarn 'guide receiver Y, of the toothed racks i j and the os'cil lating shifting disksl mand pins n, the said disks and pins arrangedfor operating the receiver for changing the yarn-guides, all substantially'as speci- 'fied.

6. The combination, with the disks! in and pins 12 n, of the ratchet-wheels w, the pawl x, arms q,'carn ,7, springs 11, sliding-pawl 3, and the spring 4, all substantially asspecified. v

7. The shifter 5, rod 11, lever 9, cam 'Z, and spring 13,.combined and arranged substantially as specified. I

8. The bar 24, provided with: thelatch-openers 25, constructed as described and arranged relatively to the needles A and B, as and i'or'the purpose speci- 9. The combination of the adj listing-bars l9, rods 20, screws 21, spring 15, with plates 16, bars 23, 18, and L, all substantially as specified. y

10. The arrangement of the bar 18, the slotted bar 26, the spring-stops 27, and push-pins 28, substantially as specified.

1].. The combination, with the receiver Y and the yarn-guide carrier, of the guard-wire 34, substantially as specified.

12. The c0mbinati0n,'with the receiver, of the yarnguide 32, substantially as specified 13. The combination, with the camheel O, of

the sliding friction-roller Q and the shifting lever 36, the bar M, and the needle-bar L, substantially as specified.

14. The combination, with the gauge-screws 22, the

rods 20, and the needles A, of the bar 21, arranged and operating substantially as specified.

JOHN LEE. .MARK LEE.

\VILLIAM CARTER.

Vitnesses:

CHARLES C. GREENWOOD, 1\.[YRA S. Gnnnxwoon. 

